If Fredericksburg was going to make a series out of the best-of-5 “Lefty” Grumbine Lebanon County Legion baseball finals, it was going to need to improve its pitching and defense from Game 1.

Jon McKinney took care of that, pitching a complete game win against Campbelltown and helping Fredericksburg to a 5-2 win that tied the series 1-1.

McKinney allowed six hits and one earned run. He struck out six batters and issued no walks.

“My curveball was on, finally,” McKinney said. “It was the first time in a while. I could use it for a strike, or use it for a strikeout pitch.”

McKinney retired the side in order three times. He threw 111 pitches.

The Fredericksburg defense, which made nine errors in a 21-6 Game 1 loss, helped out too. Second baseman Daulton Ritter and shortstop Zach Smith turned an inning-ending double play in the fifth. Fredericksburg had just two errors in Game 2.

Although Campbelltown never led, the regular-season champs hardly looked like a beaten team.

“I liked a lot of what I saw tonight,” Campbelltown head coach Tim Morgan said. “That’s a good team over there. McKinney got his curveball over and my guy didn’t.”

Fredericksburg scored all of its runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Jordan Seltzer led off with a solo home run to left field. Tanner Dresch hit a sacrifice fly to plate Austin Startoni and make it 2-0.

Then Fredericksburg added three two-out runs before the rally ended. An infield single by McKinney scored Ritter, then Smith’s double scored McKinney for a 4-0 lead. Drew Bene’s single to right knocked Smith in for a 5-0 advantage.

“Getting runs for your pitcher is big,” Fredericksburg head coach Jim McKinney said. “He can throw the curve more often.”

Campbelltown loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but the only run that frame came on a sacrifice fly by Sully Bortner.

In the seventh, Campbelltown tacked on one more run when Tyler Morder reached on an error, then scored after a botched relay on Zach Miller’s double.

Morder made a nice defensive play from right field in the sixth, throwing a runner out at third base without the help of the cutoff man.

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